by Carrie Schmidt
From the first time I watched Disney's Cinderella as a starry-eyed three-year-old (who watched it in an old theater with sweeping staircases... and became Cinderella as much as any one little girl can), I have loved fairy tales.
I love the way they champion the power of love & kindness & courage.
I love the way they always end in happily ever after.
I love the way they reflect the Gospel and my relationship with Jesus.
But most of all, I just love everything they promise us about life and love.
Fairy Tale retellings continue to be a wildly popular subgenre in, particularly, Young Adult fiction but have a huge adult following as well. (It's been a long time since I've been a 'young' adult and this is still one of my very fave types of fiction to read) They can be historical or contemporary, a more literal retelling or a loose reimagining. Maybe all the details but one are changed to suit the author's purposes, or maybe all the details but one are the same. (Retellings are also crazy popular for classic literature - Austen & Dickens, etc. - and beloved stories from the Bible - Ruth & Esther tend to be the go-to stories to retell here.)
So why do I love them?
Because they do everything that a fairy tale does (see list above) PLUS they remind me of my childhood, of that princess-wannabe who fell in love with story as Cinderella fell in love with Prince Charming. They remind me what it's like to discover the wonders and intricacies of a beloved plot and characters for the first time.
Not only that, but retellings of any kind remind us that our stories are never really over.
CINDERELLA
The Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson (medieval Germany)
Cinder by Marissa Meyer (sci-fi)
Texas Cinderella by Winnie Griggs (historical/western)
Cowboy Charming by Lacy Williams (reverse Cinderella/contemporary/western)
It Started With Goodbye by Christina June (YA contemporary retelling)
BEAUTY & THE BEAST
The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson (medieval England)
The Lady & The Lionheart by Joanne Bischof (turn of the century Appalachia/circus)
Whispers In the Reading Room by Shelley Shepard Gray (Gilded Age mystery)
The Beastly Princess by Lacy Williams (reverse roles/contemporary/western)
The Beautiful Pretender by Melanie Dickerson (medieval Germany)
SNOW WHITE
The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson (medieval Germany)
Winter by Marissa Meyer (sci-fi)
Once Upon a Cowboy by Lacy Williams (contemporary/western)
The Shadow Queen by CJ Redwine (YA fantasy)
Can't imagine a contemporary retelling of Little Red Riding Hood? You need Everywhere You Want to Be by Christina June.
Intrigued by an allegorical retelling of The Wizard of Oz? Make sure you grab a copy of Emerald Illusion by J. Rodes.
And what about....
MULAN
I'm so glad you asked!
Turns out that Seekerville's own Melanie Dickerson has a Mulan retelling releasing in just two weeks!
When Mulan takes her father’s place in battle against the besieging Teutonic Knights, she realizes she has been preparing for this journey her whole life—and that her life, and her mother’s, depends on her success. As the adopted daughter of poor parents, Mulan has little power in the world. If she can’t prove herself on the battlefield, she could face death—or, perhaps worse, marriage to the village butcher.
Disguised as a young man, Mulan meets the German duke’s son, Wolfgang, who is determined to save his people even if it means fighting against his own brother. Wolfgang is exasperated by the new soldier who seems to be one step away from disaster at all times—or showing him up in embarrassing ways.
From rivals to reluctant friends, Mulan and Wolfgang begin to share secrets. But war is an uncertain time and dreams can die as quickly as they are born. When Mulan receives word of danger back home, she must make the ultimate choice. Can she be the son her bitter father never had? Or will she become the strong young woman she was created to be?
This fresh reimagining of the classic tale takes us to fifteenth-century Lithuania where both love and war challenge the strongest of hearts.
Preorder your copy HERE
⟸⟹⟸⟹⟸⟹
I'm giving away a copy of The Warrior Maiden (or a Melanie Dickerson retelling of your choice) to anyone who comments below. Open internationally as long as Book Depository ships to your country.
Do you like retellings? Why do you think they are so popular?
⟸⟹⟸⟹⟸⟹
I brought scones since that seems like something one should eat whilst talking about fairy tales :)
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
DeleteYUM! Now you have me craving scones to go with my coffee this morning. :)
DeleteME TOO lol
DeleteHow did you know I love scones, Carrie? Yum.
DeleteWell, hand over some of those scones! I hope you brought some hot chocolate to go with them, since I don't like tea or coffee, and it's colddddd outside! I enjoy retellings as long as they are done well and are kind of loosely based on the story. I like the author to be very creative in their retelling.
ReplyDeletewell of course there's plenty of hot chocolate and warm cider since I don't like tea or coffee either :D Yes, being done well (the stories, not the beverages... although, those too) is key!
DeleteHi Carrie:
ReplyDeleteI'm also a big fan of retold tales. Of course, I think there is a big difference between folk tales and fairy tales. Folk tales can be pretty darn scary, even gruesome.
Retold tales are so much fun for me because I get to experience the fun of reading the tale with fresh eyes because I know it will have some differences. So in a way, it is like hearing the tale for the first time again. I say hearing here because so many of these were first read to me as a child.
It is also fun to guess how the author is going to make the story different. In some ways it is almost like a mystery where you are trying to guess 'who done it' while the author is trying to fool you -- fool you fairly given that all the clues were there. I also can enjoy the sheer creativity of the author if the retelling is particularly inspired.
BTW: this can be done in other ways than retelling tales. One of my favorite books was a romance by Liz Fielding which was a modern day Regency novel. It had all the elements of a Regency romance and I believe that if the reader was not a fan of Regency she would never know what Liz was doing in that novel. It was totally ingenious and twice the fun. I also felt like I was a privileged insider enjoying being in on a secret. Fun.
Thanks for all your suggestions here. Of course, my favorite author doing this has been Melanie Dickerson ever since I read her first book.
Vince
Melanie is hands-down my fave too! Pepper Basham is another one that does awesome retellings but hers are usually of classic stories so I didn't include them here.
Delete"It is also fun to guess how the author is going to make the story different." - I love that. Yes, exactly.
I love the retelling because if it's told in a future type setting then you get to see it through a new set of eye's. If it in the past or present you get to read what and how the story line goes.
ReplyDeleteThat new set of eyes is such fun, isn't it? :)
DeleteI love fairytale tropes in stories, Carrie... I'm a big rags-to-riches Cinderella fan.... And I have saved that Little Match Girl a number of times!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love these when they're historical and when they're modern day, and I'm a huge fan of Biblical retellings/themes.
And you know why?
Because they're relatable.
Last fall I listened to Donald Miller of StoryBrand... Donald was a wonderful speaker and he gave a frank talk about why these stories work... and that most successful story lines follow these guidelines of timeless stories.
I believe him.
Mostly because I do this and people buy books, so his words ring true. When we look back we see the same mistakes we're making today, being repeated regularly... I guess we humans don't learn easily, eh? :)
And because writers differ, it's never same-old, same-old... it's always a new version, new characters, new conflicts governed by human frailty.
And that's why we love them, because we see ourselves in them.
Carrie, what a great reminder of how stories never really die.... they just get re-told.
"And that's why we love them, because we see ourselves in them." - yes! that's it exactly, dear Ruthy.
DeleteI wanted to hear Donald Miller so badly but i was setting up the vendor table. I love his take on stories - and it's so true. Most novels/novellas take the same themes and reshape them to fit the author's style or inspiration - making them new again. Kinda like God does with each of us, too :)
Hi Ruth:
DeleteYour post comment brings to mind Douglas MacArthur's quote about old soldiers which I'll paraphrase as:
"Old stories never die, they just fade away into retellings."
Carrie, I love your post! Thanks so much for making this handy list. I think my favorite fairytale is Beauty and the Beast. I'll have to check all of them out! I've already read Melanie's and Joanne's which were both amazing. Can't wait to read more! Plus, the other fairytale retellings as well!
ReplyDeletethere are so many i could have added to the B&B list that weren't necessarily retellings (I did sneak in Lady & the Lionheart and Shelley's book, which aren't pure retellings but along the theme) but I had to force myself to stop somewhere haha
DeleteI havent read many fairytale retellings, more of the classic Austen retellings or continuing sagas. I would think this is especially difficult to write since there is a reason in the first place the original work was/is popular even after standing the test of time. I have read one or two books that didn't do the original work justice. That being said, I am not opposed to retellings that are well done. I have read Melanie Dickerson and I like her spin on the classics. Lee-Ann B
ReplyDeleteRetellings done well are key. All of these that I mentioned are, in my opinion, done very well :) Sometimes, too, I've found I need to lay my expectations at the door and just enjoy the inspiration of the fairy tale that the author used, finding like Vince said above the little things they tuck into their story to hearken back to the original tale. Like we're all in on a great secret if we've read the classic fairy tale :) It helps me, rather than expecting it to follow the original too closely.
DeleteI have read all of Dickerson's fairy tales stories, and I love them too. Thanks for the list Carrie. Might have to add to my TBR stack. (Not like it is a mile high anyways!) God bless!
ReplyDeleteMy goal in life is to make everyone's TBR stack as gargantuan as mine ;)
DeleteCarrie, "Cinderella" was the first movie I ever saw in a theater! Only it was pre-Disney, a live-action one with Leslie Caron as Cinderella. But it was in an old theater with gilded Art Deco moldings, and I fell in love with theater, movies and fairy tales. They speak to so much in us.
ReplyDeleteThey do! And it sounds like you were in the same theater I was in ;) Didn't that just add to the mood and make the fairy tale come alive?!?
DeleteI love fairytale and the retellings.
ReplyDeleteMy friend was medical flown to NC. I saw her and a load was lifted. It will be a long road but she is much improved. Thanks for all the prayers.
We will continue to pray, Wilani! Thanks for the update <3
DeleteEeeeepppp!!!! I'm a HUGE fan of fairy tale retellings! I think it started when I read Beauty by Robin McKinley. I've read some of the books on your list and have been able to put others on hold at my library -- in audio format -- eeeppp - nothing like listening to a fairy tale being read to you. I'm so excited! So thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to read retellings of lesser known fairy tales...or at least, not the Disneyfied version of the most popular ones too. So much scope in this subgenre!
YES you're so right! That's why I loved Christina June's Little Red Riding Hood story - not one that typically gets retold. Another REALLY good one is Strands of Bronze & Gold by Jane Nickerson - the Bluebeard fairy tale.
DeleteEeeeepppp!!!! My library has that one in audio and I just checked it out!!!!!
DeleteI love fairy tale retellings and Beauty and the Beast was my favourite fairy tale as a child. My first completed (unsold) novel was a medieval Beauty and the Beast type story set in the Third Crusade. I still love it, even though it was my "learning" novel. :)
ReplyDeleteThe books that give us a glimpse of other takes on the central story are keepers for me. And I also love Biblical retellings because Ruthie's right - we humans haven't changed one iota over the centuries. I think using contemporary "retellings" of Bible stories is a great way to reach people for God.
I completely agree! I may have to do another post on Biblical retellings b/c I love them too.
DeleteCarrie, I still love Cinderella and many of the Disney princess tales, however I'm not sure I've read any retellings. Guess I need to correct that. Looks like I have some reading to do.
ReplyDeleteGet busy, Mindy! ;) LOL
DeleteHi Carrie. I do love retellings because they remind us of our past. Most people remember the first time that they heard or saw Cinderella or Snow White or even Old Yeller. (My school class went to the theater!) We treasure those memories and reading these stories in a new version, another setting or time, is a way to savor our memories once again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your list with the different books and thanks for this giveaway.
Blessings!
"a way to savor our memories once again" - yes, exactly!!
DeleteCarrie, you had me at "Fairy Tale!" The stories are always so enchanting and exciting! I've never thought of writing a re-telling. Now you have me thinking...which is always good!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the list of books!
Mel's stories are wonderful! Her Warrior Maiden looks like another must read!
ooooo DEBBY!! I would love to read a retelling from you!
DeleteI loved The Golden Braid, The Orphan’s Wish, and The Noble Servant by Melanie. Thank you for the chance.
ReplyDeleteall great ones!!
DeleteI love the retellings. I love the imagination of different authors putting new spins on old classic plots!
ReplyDeleteme too - it gives me new appreciation for the classics, too
DeleteOh, Carrie!!! You are the BESTEST EVER!!!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you were doing this! I just noticed because I've been running around all morning. THANK YOU so much for doing this! You are a sweetheart! MUAH!!!!! Storing up hugs for the next time I see you!
well, you know it's never a hardship for me to talk about how much I love your books ;) MUAH right back! love ya!
DeleteAnd while I was driving my young friend around last weekend, you wanna know whose name came up??? MELANIE STINKIN' DICKERSON!!!! :)
DeleteBecause her books just grab you by the heart and do not let go!
The brat!!!!!
Hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!! Ruthy, tell Taylor she's a sweetheart! And I love her. (Yes, I know I've never met her, but she loves my books, and you tell me how amazing she is, so I love her. The End.)
DeleteWhat better way to indulge our inner child than with a fairy tale retelling?! Fabulous post as always, Carrie!
ReplyDelete<3
DeleteI too love fairy retales.:-) And I have really enjoyed several of Melanie Dickerson's since discovering her on here. How exciting that she has another coming out
ReplyDeleteI always do a happy dance when Melanie has another book coming out. Even if I can't read it right away, I put it on my favorites shelf and tell it how pretty it is haha!
DeleteI enjoy them because reading something with meaning but so much fun is just a must in this crazy world.It takes the reader to a whole different world to savor and enjoy!
ReplyDeleteYES! well said :)
DeleteI like fairy tale re-tellings as on long as they are true to the original but the setting is modern day.
ReplyDeleteJanet E.
von1janet(at)gmail(dot)com
modern day ones are lots of fun :)
DeleteI'm definitely a sucker for fairytales and retellings. Such powerful stories of overcoming and happy endings. And I am so excited for this retelling of Mulan! Mulan is my favorite Disney movie...always makes me cry when she presents her father the emperor's sword and he tosses it aside and tells her the greatest gift is having her for a daughter. *insert crying emoji* Sigh...so sweet. Can't wait!!!!
ReplyDeletehaha! We are kindred Disney spirits, Sherrinda :)
DeleteHi Carrie:
ReplyDeleteIn a way, I think that retellings of fairy tales act as a kind of fountain of youth because they can revive interest in the classic originals. I've read some fairy tales, for the first time, only after seeing Disney's version because I wanted to learn how Disney changed them. It's as if the originals were in themselves retellings.
i love that analogy, Vince! Very true
DeleteMelanie Dickerson is one of my favorite authors. Her fairy tale retellings are full of adventure, period drama and fun for this almost 60 year old.
ReplyDeleteI'm in my 40s and love them too! :)
DeleteThanks so much for including my books! <3
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your new one :)
DeleteI've loved fairy tales since I was young because my mom loved them as a child and read them to me. I love retellings because of all the different angles and viewpoints an author can take with them and all the different settings they can be told in. Melanie Dickerson is my favorite, but I haven't read the others you mentioned. I like that Melanie's are set in the same time period as the original fairy tales, but they have a very realistic feel to them--as if they could have really happened. My 14 yo daughter (Melanie Dickerson is about all she'll read) and I are very excited about The Warrior Maiden!
ReplyDeleteI agree - Melanie's really make the fairy tales feel real. The others I've mentioned (particularly Christina June & Marissa Meyer are wonderful too)
DeleteI love Melanie Dickerson's fairy tale retellings. I liked fairy tales as a child, now I can read the grown-up versions. I really don't spend much time thinking how they are like the original stories, though. I just like them because they are excellent stories that are fun to read.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love fairytale retellings. They are definitely at the top of my reading list! There is something so fun and magical about them. And I have always loved fairytales. So there's that too. I am currently working on writing my debut novel. It's a retelling of Snow White and I can hardly wait to share it!!
ReplyDeleteHi Jan:
ReplyDeleteThe more I think about it, the common retellings seem to be. I think it is possible that many people, if not most, don't even know when something is a retelling!
Just consider this headline:
17 Movies That Are Cleverly Disguised Shakespeare Plays
https://www.buzzfeed.com/ishabassi/long-live-the-king-of-literature
Even some Seekers have retold classic short stories as novellas.
It just might be worth reading, "Tales Twice Told," once again for new ideas!
Vince
Fairytale re-tellings can be pure magic to read. The ultimate good v evil battle in some cases.
ReplyDeleteI'm REALLY late to this party, but Carrie, I love this post. The list of retellings for some of the classic fairytales is delightful! I've enjoyed the retellings I've read. And having a list of more retellings makes my heart happy!
ReplyDeleteLove this post Carrie! Fairy tale re-tellings are magical!
ReplyDeleteCarrie, I’m pleasantly surprised by this list of retellings! I had no idea there were so many out there and by authors I love! I think we like retellings so much because they often remind us of the stories we loved so much as children. They stir up good memories! Thanks for the great post. Here’s hoping to win The Warrior Maiden. Sounds like my kind of book!
ReplyDeleteFun post, Carrie. I work in a book store and know that fairy tale retellings are popular. There are a lot of series for elementary age kids, too. Here are some:
ReplyDeleteWhatever After series by Sarah Mlynowski
Grimmtastic Girls series by Joan Holub
Ever After High series by Shannon Hale (about the children of fairy tale characters)
The books by Liesl Shurtliff which include Rump(Rumplestiltskin), Red (Little Red Riding Hood), Jack (Jack and the Beanstalk) and Grump (Snow White and the Seven Dwarves)
These are just the ones I remember off the top of my head. I enjoy retellings of all kinds of stories. Please enter me in the drawing.
Carrie, your posts are always so much fun! I love a good fairy-tale retelling! :)
ReplyDeleteI like fairy tale retellings because of the happy ending factor - just like a fairy tale! :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete